A Savage Beast
by Violetfangs
Summary: When tragedy hits Richard Castle's home, he is heartbroken and distressed. Will this bring Beckett and Castle closer together? Or will this new case-or something far worse-destroy every bit of their relationship they had built up? *Character death*
1. Prologue: The Worry

Richard Castle walked down the stairs to the kitchen of his loft where he could smell coffee brewing. As he entered he heard the faint sound of the rustling of the newspaper as his mother skimmed through it, coffee in hand, all ready and dressed for the day.

"Good morning, Mother," he said with a small smile as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, his freshly-washed, alpine-scent washing over her, "Where is Alexis?"

"I thought she was still asleep. She went to that party for Ashley's seventeenth birthday last night."

"I know, but she wasn't in her room," he stated, eyes squinting in confusion and worry.

Martha Rodgers expression morphed to match her sons, but, having been the mother of Richard Castle for far too long to be healthy, masked her worry-the work of a true theater girl, and said firmly, "I'm sure she's fine. She's practically a grown-up; she can take care of herself."

"I guess you're right. I probably just got a little over-protective. I have nothing to worry about. She probably just went to the library or an early movie or a walk in the park with Ashley since they both love the sunrise so much."

"Yes, Richard, that's the spirit. Think positively. What's the worst thing that could have happened to her?"

Castle had once told his mother never to say that to a novelist because they were trained to think of the worst-case scenarios. Apparently, she had forgotten that time because as she said this, his imagination was let loose from its cage like a savage beast and once again, worry, fear, and anxiety washed over him.


	2. Chapter 1: Broken

**A/N: So the last chapter was the prologue (which is why it's so short) and this is the first chapter. I didn't introduce myself last chapter. I felt that I should let the prologue stand alone. But you made it this far so here's an introduction: I am the great Violetfangs. Official newbie eater and ruler of the flying monkeys. I usually stick to Maximum Ride fanfiction but that has started getting tough to write for so with the guidance of my sister MidnightIndigo (go check her out!) here I am. Writing my first Castle fanfiction. I hope I do the characters (not like that you pervert! Get your mind out of the gutter!) well! Enjoy!**

The precinct was completely devoid of Beckett, Esposito, Ryan, or even Montgomery who was usually in his office, going through paperwork. But not today. Castle wondered if there had been a murder that they didn't want him to come to or they all just decided to ditch work today and go out somewhere. It would be quite a coincidence if they were all sick. It was actually a practically impossible theory.

So where were they?

Ryan and Esposito almost always came to work late, but Beckett and Montgomery were both punctual and had the worst case of EBS (Early-Bird Syndrome) he had ever encountered.

If it was a murder, they might be in forensics by now, he concluded silently as he walked out of the building he had just entered, making his way to forensics.

When he arrived in the cold, bright room, he found no one. It was empty except for the tools and tables placed orderly around the room. His eyebrows came together in confusion. He whipped out his cell phone and held down the number four button as it called Beckett.

She picked up on the second ring, "Beckett."

Her voice was sharp and had an I-mean-business edge to it even though, thanks to Caller ID, she already knew it was Castle. "Beckett, hey, it's me, Castle. Um, where are you guys? I've been looking everywhere for you guys. What's going on?"

"Castle, I was just about to call you. Where are you now?"

"I'm at forensics. What's going on?"

"Meet me at the precinct in ten."

"Beckett! What is going on?" he repeated, this time feeling quite frantic. But she had already hung up.

His worry about Alexis had resurfaced and he was more scared than he had been in a while. The voice that he had heard over the phone was the one Kate Beckett reserved for when she was breaking the news of the victim's death to their next of kin.

Before the allotted ten minutes was up, Castle was standing in the precinct, waiting near Beckett's desk.

Three minutes later, the detective arrived, flanked by Ryan and Esposito, all three wearing a solemn expression. Castle's fear deepened as they walked towards him, Beckett meeting his eye. But he didn't see the same friendly Beckett within her eyes. He saw a stranger who was bringing the bad news.

"Take a seat, Castle," she said, sitting in her own chair and beckoning to the one next to her desk. He did so, knowing that he shouldn't be standing when he heard what she had to say. Ryan and Esposito stood on either side of Beckett, arms crossed, leaning against her desk. Their teeth were clenched and their jaws twitched as they prepared for the uncomfortable confrontation.

They didn't want to see the pain that would overcome Castle's joyful, child-like face. No one would want to watch as their friend falls.

But it was the worst for Beckett. She had faced so many families, too many to count. She told them that someone they loved was dead. She promised them they would catch the killer. She promised that they would get their justice. She promised that she wouldn't give up until that case was solved.

She made so many promises. She had to keep all of them and sometimes she couldn't. And this murder would be hardest of all to solve, not only because of the way the victim was killed—the plainness of it—, but also because Castle couldn't be there to help her. She wouldn't let him help with this case, not when it would be so personal.

Castle's face was stony as Beckett began to speak, her voice soothing, but distressed. She told Castle that his daughter, Alexis Castle, had been strangled to death. She told him they would solve the case. She told him they wouldn't rest until Alexis had received justice. And as she stood up, looking down at Castle, his eyes brimming with unshed tears, she told him that he would not be on this case. She told him that he wouldn't be on any other case. She told him that it was for his own good. She told him that it was the end. Too many people were after him, and her, for him to help out without getting hurt. They couldn't risk his life anymore.

Castle's face began contorting into a defeated anger. Just when he needed Beckett the most, she was leaving him. He didn't want to stop taking cases. He had even more of a reason to stay and help now. He had as much as a reason as her. He had the same reason as her. He had lost someone he loved. He wanted justice. He wanted others who faced tragedies like him to receive justice.

Now it really wasn't about the books. At this point, the books meant nothing to him. Even his relationship with Beckett had lost most of its meaning. He still wanted to be around her, yes. But he had to put his family first. And his family, especially his daughter, needed him.

"Was Alexis still dating Ashley?" Beckett asked when Castle leaned back in his chair again, too lost to protest.

"Yes, it was his eighteenth birthday last night. She was at a party for him."

"Have they been fighting at all, lately?"

"No, they loved each other from what I could tell. Alexis has never sounded happier."

"Thank you, Castle," Beckett said, then turned to Ryan and Esposito whose grim faces hadn't changed, "I want you to find Ashley, bring him here so I can talk to him. You can stay until I finish talking to him, Castle."

Castle nodded slowly, not really paying attention. A minute later, after Ryan and Esposito had left, he asked, "Do you want me to call my mother and ask her to come over here?"

"Sure, Castle, why don't you do that? Then go get yourself a cup of coffee."

"Thanks," he said as he walked away, pulling out his cell phone.

"Oh, and Castle," Beckett called turning to face her friend, "I'll always be there for you. No matter what."

The writer let a smile play on his lips, but it was tainted by sorrow, "Thanks, Beckett."

Beckett watched as his form retreated into the hallway and through the doors of the elevator. She stared until the doors clinked shut, the last view she caught was of tears rolling down his cheeks as he put the cell phone to his ears and listened for his mother's voice.

The child was gone. He might never pull her pigtails again.

Richard Edgar Castle had been broken.

**A/N: Kind of sad. I cried. I mean I cry while reading a lot. But I have never cried while writing something. I feel very sadistic right now. Please review. I got a lot of emails saying that people were putting this story on alert as well as 78 hits just for today (and it's just after noon!) but I only got two reviews! A couple more would make me pretty happy.**


	3. Chapter 2: Shattered

A/N: I'm going to try to update every weekend. If that suits you. My time slots are emptying so I should have a little more free time. I just finished Academic Decathlon. The big day was Saturday. We placed 8th out of 17 schools so that was okay (though not as great as last year when we placed 3rd!) but for my subject—literature—I tied for first with 4 other people and the tie-breaker (which was the easiest question ever that you could have answered just by reading the summary) was no help so they chose who placed where by who got a question incorrect first. With my luck, it had to be me, so I got fifth place. I was so POed that you don't even know. I was so mad and upset that I started crying. And I only cry during stories and stuff like that! And naturally, like all the teachers had to be there and they all failed at comforting me. I'm like, "Go away!" On a high note, though, I got accepted to the high school I applied to! I scored 100% higher than other 8th graders who took the same test in the US in MATH. And I'm pretty good in math, but not that good! But then I got a 69% in reading which is a shocker. And this author's note is extremely long so... ON WITH STORY!

"Hello, Mother," Castle said, his voice as hard as stone.

"Richard!" his mother's dramatic voice answered, "What is it? I'm in the middle of rehearsals."

"I don't think that's quite as important as this," he replied, his voice cracking.

That was the moment when Martha heard the hurt and pain in her son's voice. She could hear his whimper as he cried and her motherly instincts took over. "What is it, Richard?" she asked, her voice now soothing and kind.

"Why don't you come down to the Twelfth?" he suggested.

"Oh, alright," she replied, confusion etched in her voice, "Right now?"

"Yes, Mother," he answered.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes, darling."

She didn't receive a reply.

Castle left the elevator once again. He hadn't actually gone anywhere in it. It hadn't even moved. He had just stood in there so that no one would see him collapse against the wall, sliding down to the floor.

His daughter—his beautiful Alexis—was dead. She had had such a promising future ahead of her. She was going to go to college soon and fulfill her goals and create her life. She was just about to take off and fly to success. And that was all over because of some…psycho.

He walked over to the break room and made himself a cup of coffee. He sat down and stared at the wall as it brewed. The tears that had welled up his eyes and slid down his cheeks like sorrowful raindrops continued to come. He couldn't really remember life before Alexis. Most likely because he was drunk most of the time. But that was besides the point.

He looked out the window of the break room as Ryan and Esposito walked in behind Ashley who looked distraught and confused. H e stood up and went towards the three men.

"Mr. Castle, what's going on?" he asked, polite as ever.

"Just take a seat, Ashley," he replied, sitting down next to Beckett's desk.

"Sir?" he asked, noticing the tears in the man's eyes. He turned to look at Beckett then who was sitting in her chair at her desk, "Detective?"

"Please, sit. I have to talk to you about something of utter seriousness."

His eyebrows were furrowed as he took a seat. "What's going on?" he asked again.

"You have been going out with Alexis Castle for how long, Ashley?" Beckett replied, not actually answering the question.

"Um, for about five months. It's a month until our 6-month anniversary," he explained nervously.

"How has your relationship been going?"

Ashley fidgeted in his seat, glancing from Castle to Beckett to Ryan and Esposito and back to Castle, confusion practically written on his face in sharpie. "Pretty good, I think. Why? What's going on?"

"Have you fought at all lately? Disagreed about something?"

"Only when she insists on paying the bill after our dates."

"Thank you. That will be all. You can go."

'Wait!" Ashley paused, "You didn't even tell me what's going on!"

Beckett, who had started to turn and walk away, turned back with a sigh and stared at Ashley intently. "At four this morning," she paused and glanced at Castle who in turn, looked down at his hands, "Alexis was found dead."

Ashley's jaw dropped and as this registered, pain came to his eyes, coated in a thick layer of tears. "No. That can't be possible," he paused and looked at the four people around him, landing finally on Castle, who had shed all his tears and was now left with a strong emptiness that he knew could never be filled, "It can't be true. It's not true! Everyone loves...loved Alexis." His voice cracked and faded at the end as realization sunk in.

Reality hit him harder than it ever had before. He had never been struck by a blow so powerful and crushing. He realized that she was gone. He would never be able to tell her he loved her again, having just told her for the first time the night before at his birthday. He would never be able to hold her in his arms again. He would never be able to ask her to marry him like he had been planning to do at graduation after getting the consent of Castle, of course.

All his plans for a future with her. All his plans for anything with her were gone, shattered like glass into millions of different pieces. His heart and soul had gone with it.

He couldn't feel. He couldn't think. He couldn't speak. He was surrounded by a numbness that nothing could overcome. This was like no break-up he had ever experienced. That pain left after the first or second day. This pain would last forever. It was like a hole had just opened up within him and he had no way to close it up again.

He had never experienced the death of someone close to him. At least not this close. He had been only four when his great-grandmother died of Alzheimer's. He never got a chance to get to know her. Not at that age. It didn't even register for him at that young.

But now, after knowing Alexis. After falling in love with her. After getting ready to spend the rest of his life with her, he felt it more than anything else. He felt it more than the icy breeze blowing through his jacket. He didn't even wonder how he got outside in the first place. He didn't remember standing up an leaving. He never heard the voices of Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito calling his name.

Ashley's senses had just been lost beneath all the pain.

Ashley had been broken and he might never be whole again.


	4. Chapter 3: THREE

**A/N: I'm sorry it's been a little over a week but I was sick so i had a lot of make-up work and basketball just started so that's filling my time slots again. So how about I stick to posting on the weekends? We good on that? Good.**

"Richard! Richard!" the aging actress called with her booming voice.

Her son met her near the elevator. She could tell he had been crying from the puffy bags beneath his eyes and the pink that tinted his nose as if he had a cold.

But Martha Rodgers knew that her son did not have a cold for it was not so that morning.

With that thought, she remembered the conversation they had had as she sipped her coffee and looked over the paper as carefree as ever.

"Richard, did you find Alexis?" she asked, clutching his shoulders.

"They found her," he stated simply. And this time, he didn't falter; his voice didn't crack. He had cried all his tears and his eyes were dry.

"What? Who found her? Who's they? Richard, talk to me!"

"Come with me, Mother," he said, leading her to the bullpen where Beckett sat at her desk, deep in thought.

As they entered, the detective looked up. "Martha," she said, "Please take a seat?"

"Kate, dear," the older woman murmured, doing as she was told, "what's going on?"

Beckett sighed slightly, "It's Alexis. We found her. Dead."

Martha gasped theatrically, but she wasn't being melodramatic. "What? Alexis can't be..."

"I'm sorry, Martha," Beckett said, "I know how it feels to lose someone you love."

"What happened to her?" Martha asked.

"She was strangled," Beckett stating simply, then continued, "And I promise that we _will_ catch her killer and he will be locked away for a very long time."

Martha nodded and made to stand up, but Beckett stopped her and added, "But we have to ask you a few questions before you go."

The woman sat back down, a frown etched on her face, her wrinkles, which she tried so hard to hide, showing, making her look older than she was.

"Have you noticed Alexis acting strange or different at all lately?" she asked, leaning against her desk.

"No, she's been as bright and happy as ever," Martha responded quickly.

"What about the word 'three' as in the number? Is that a significant number to her or anyone she knows?"

"Um, no, I don't believe so. Why do you ask?"

"I'll explain later. Have you been spending more time than usual with Alexis lately?"

"Not particularly, no," the actress answered.

"Alright, thank you," Beckett said with a reassuring smile.

"Now, you have to explain the 'three' question," Martha pushed, eyebrows raised.

"Why don't the two of you come with me to forensics?"

Martha turned to her son, "You haven't seen her yet?"

Castle shook his head slowly as he escorted his mother to the door, followed by Beckett. They all drove in Beckett's car since Castle and Martha had both taken a cab.

The ride there was slow and silent, pain filling the air. Martha's makeup was smudged, her mascara running down her face in trails of tears. Castle face was sullen as he stared straight ahead, a far-off look in his eyes, but not thinking about anything. Beckett was on the verge of tears. She didn't think she would be able to tell another person about Alexis without her heart breaking entirely.

Though she hadn't even known Alexis for that long, the teenager had been like a daughter, or even a sister, to her. Someone she had to watch out for and protect. Someone she could talk to and give advice.

She knew that Alexis felt the same way about her. Alexis came to her with questions sometimes. Alexis had needed a motherly figure in her life since Meredith wasn't around to give that to her (and even when she was, it never happened since the two were so different).

Finally, as the silence had become painfully unbearable, they arrived. Ryan and Esposito were waiting outside for them and when they approached, the pair motioned for the door and led them inside.

Lanie turned as they walked in and smiled sadly at Castle and Martha. She gave them both hugs and whispered, "I'm so sorry," as she did so.

She walked over to the table which had a figure covered in a blue sheet and as she lifted it, Castle placed his arm around his mother and gave her shoulder a squeeze while Beckett placed her hand in his.

When Lanie pulled away the sheet, Castle let out a choked sob as Martha buried her head in his shirt. Beckett was forced to look away, eyes closed and Ryan and Esposito grimaced.

Alexis looked as if she were sleeping. Here eyes were closed and her arms lay at her sides. The only things that made it not so was the lack of her chest rising and falling, the red marks on her throat that showed strangulation, and one word that was written in sharpie on her forehead, "THREE". And then the question Beckett had asked made sense.

Alexis had died and the number three had something to do with it.

**A/N: Ooh! Slight cliffy! Okay, teeny, tiny cliffy. Don't judge my cliffies! They're Pisces and sensitive! I'm a Pisces! Go fish! My parents think I lack sensitivity because I want to see the movie 127 Hours. I'm sorry that its rated R and based off a true story but the critics say it was good. That does not mean I enjoy watching people cut off their arms!**

**So anyways, this is kind of a short chapter, almost a filler but not quite. I'll be getting some longer chapters up by next weekend though so keeping reading and reviewing! I REALLY like when you guys review so keep doing it! Thanks a bunch!**


	5. Chapter 4: Changed

**A/N: So my sister is sick and so is my father and my mom's been mad at me all day because I've had an "attitude". But whatever, I'm updating! So enjoy and please review!**

**Also, a few reviewers brought a small problem to my attention: In the first chapter I say the COD (cause of death, not Call of Duty) is a bullet to the head, then last chapter, I say she was strangled. I changed it and the official COD is strangulation. Thank you so much to those reviewers!**

Lanie re-covered the body and turned to Beckett as Martha was ushered out of the room by Ryan.

"There were no remaining thread fibers from the rope used to kill her. There were also no fingerprints," she explained slowly, glancing at Castle ever so often.

"Any evidence of sexual assault?" Beckett asked, also glancing at her broken friend.

"None, and nothing wad stolen from her either," Lanie said, eyebrows raised, "So it appears to me that this was a cold-blooded murder."

"But why? Everyone she was close to says she has no enemies. Everyone loves her."

"Yeah," Castle chimed in, "She's rarely ever had a fight with her friends and even when she has she resolves it."

"Which leaves us nowhere," Beckett sighed, "How about we talk to her friends, just to cover our bases. See if they know anything, if something happened at school. What's her best friend's name, Castle?"

"Paige. I can give you her address."

"Okay, you can give that to Esposito. Esposito, I need you to find Paige and bring her in."

Esposito, who had been standing to the side quietly, nodded and left, probably to catch up with his partner so the two could find Paige, after receiving the address from Castle.

After the door shut with a snap!, Beckett turned her attention back to Castle and raised her eyebrows at him, "You, Castle, are going to go home. Go back home with your mother and stay with her. The two of you need support from each other right now. I'll send some uniforms over to stand outside your door for protection."

"No. No way," he defended, "I'm staying here. This is my daughter's case!"

"All the more reason for me to make you leave," she exclaimed, her stress level overflowing to the point of being unbearable, "You couldn't even handle your friend's case when you hadn't seen him in years!"

"You worked on your own mother's case!"

"Out of line, Castle!" Beckett yelled.

"I'm sorry that you can't handle the truth, but right now, I'm being forced to face it! And you think I'll be able to just go home and sit it out while you're trying to find my daughter's _murderer. _You can't solve this case without me!" the writer replied back his voice rising even more than hers.

"Rick!" she yelled, then took a step forward and lowered her voice, her breathing heavy and her eyebrows furrowed in hurt, "You think this doesn't hurt me as much as it's hurting you? I was close to Alexis too and seeing you so broken makes it even worse! I understand what you're going through. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. And I worked on my mother's case years after she was murdered. I had begun to heal. You _just_ found out. You won't be able to handle it."

Lanie stood to the side, watching the two argue and couldn't help but get teary-eyed. Everyone at the precinct knew Alexis. They all knew how much she meant to Castle. And now to see him so hurt and destroyed was giving the rest of them pain but she knew that her best friend, Kate, was hurting way more than everyone else. Katherine Beckett was very stubborn and she would never admit it, but Lanie knew that there was something special between the detective and the writer, something that neither of their hearts could deny.

Lanie—and everyone else who knew the duo—knew that Katherine Beckett and Richard Castle were undoubtedly in love.

Castle stood there, staring at Beckett as her words sunk in. He crouched down and placed his head in his hands with his elbows balanced on his knees as a tear escaped his hurt, blue eyes.

Beckett crouched down with him and placed her hand on his back, her voice now a soothing whisper, just barely audible, "I know you're hurting and I know you just want to do something to help, to make the process move faster. But I also know that you'll get so wrapped up in this case that it will start to suffocate you. You'll be buried so deep that you'll become desperate for air, searching for answers; blaming anyone you can get your hands on. And that won't help anyone. Not you, not me, not Alexis. So for now, I just need you to go home and rest. You can let out all your emotions and straighten out your thoughts. When you truly feel ready, when you can actually wake up in the morning and stand without a mental crutch, then you can come in and help."

Castle nodded slowly, as if it hurt to move too much (though Beckett didn't doubt that with the pain of loss, it was true). He stood up with her supporting him and looked her in the eyes, taking hold of her hands, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone off at you. I forgot that I'm not the first one to have gone through all this. I'm really glad I have you as a friend. I wouldn't be able to get through this without you."

"You'd be able to, Castle. I have no doubt of that," she smiled at him, but a hint of sorrow was still in her eyes where her smile didn't quite reach.

The writer tried to smile back but it came off more as a grimace. He then nodded at Beckett and Lanie and retreated from the room, outside to hail a taxi.

He didn't cry inside the vehicle that drove him home. He didn't wince. He didn't think about his daughter at all.

He didn't do any of those things when he passed the armed guards at his door, there only because of his daughter's death.

But when he entered his loft, he let the tears pour out, like the thunderstorm that he could tell was brewing outside. He let them fall like snow upon a mountain as he realized he would never, ever be the same.

**A/N: Wow…sad. I hope y'all enjoyed this. I'm going to be getting more and more emotional each chapter until it's so jam-packed with emotion that it explodes with tears, hurt, anger, and viciousness. Ooh, look at that: viciousness. Maybe that's a spoiler (hinthint). Tell me your predictions of what you think is yet to come. Unless I already told you (KBRCKCBlack, I'm talking to you!) then review but don't give anything away! Thanks! I love y'all!**


	6. Chapter 5: Terrifying Hunch

**A/N: Ahhh! I am an epic Tangled fan! Best movie ever. Unless they were to make a Castle movie. Though it might suck, depending on who directed and produced it. And the Maximum Ride movie scheduled to come out in 2013… Yeah. That one **_**might**_** be good. Though it's directed by the director of Twilight. Ugh! Well, this was a very random rant so on with the story! Thanks for all the great reviews for the last chapter! We got five!**

_Ding! Dong! _The doorbell rang loudly as Ryan and Esposito waited calmly for the door to open.

They remained silent, not even daring to talk about their pent up emotions over the case. They knew how much this was killing everyone they cared about: their two best friends—Beckett and Castle, Montgomery and his wife, Lanie, even Jenny, who had met Alexis before, sparking a friendship between the two, would be very upset.

Neither of them could believe it. Castle was the lighted soul in the precinct. Almost always a ray of sunshine, filled with jokes that brought laughter, even to Beckett when she was in moments of distress and frustration. They both knew that the two—writer and detective—were meant for each other and were undeniably in love. They knew it killed Castle to see Beckett hurting. They knew she hated to see Castle having trouble with his relationship with Alexis. This would destroy both of them, but maybe, as horrible as this was, it might bring them closer and open their eyes to how much they truly need each other.

The door opened suddenly and a small blond girl stood at the door looking up at them. She raised her eyebrows and said, "It seems as if the two of you can read, so turn your heads and do so. The sign says 'No soliciting' and I don't want to buy anything."

"We're not solicitors," Esposito said impatiently, his nose crinkling. He pulled out his badge and flashed it at her, "We're cops. Homicide detectives, to be specific. Alexis Castle's dad helps us out on cases. You must be Paige. We'd like to talk to you. Ask you a couple questions."

Paige looked shocked, "What? Why? It's not like I killed anyone! I'm only seventeen!"

"That may be true, but someone is dead and even if you didn't kill that person, you might be of assistance in finding their killer," Ryan stated calmly, ushering her out the door, "We can drive you if you want."

She nodded almost imperceptibly, "Okay, but first you have to tell me: who was murdered?"

The two detectives exchanged glances and then turned back to her. Their voices in sync, they stated, "Alexis Castle."

And the teenager in front of them passed out.

"So," Lanie started, "This is going to be a tough case to crack, isn't it?"

"Yeah, a little," Beckett replied, focusing hard on the floor with her head propped up on her palm, "She was loved by all. Lots of friends. Didn't get into any drugs or alcohol or anything else that could make someone mad at her. The girl was a saint. According to Castle, the worst thing she has ever done was jump the turnstile at the subway but she ended up paying for two rides the next day and not even riding it.

"But I do have a hunch. I don't want to be right, though. It'll hurt a lot of people, especially castle and his family if I'm right. I need you to see if there any remaining fibers from the rope used to strangled her. If there are, check them out and run some tests on them. ASAP."

"What? Why is that so important?" Lanie asked eyebrows raised, then as the answer dawned on her, her eyes grew to double their usual size, "You don't think?"

"That's exactly what I think."

"Alright. I'll check it out first thing." Lanie said, turning to pull out her equipment as Beckett made to leave.

The detective stopped and turned back to her friend, "And don't tell Castle until I'm ready. Okay?"

"Mum's the word," Lanie replied, "I'll get the results to you as soon as I can."

"Thanks, Lanie," she replied, as she walked out of the building.

As Beckett drove back to the precinct, she realized how horrifying her hunch was. And it fit. It put together all the pieces and it all made sense. The reason Alexis was killed, the word "THREE" written on her forehead. If the tests on the thread fibers from the rope came back the way she expected them to, Castle would be even more devastated. Just the thought of her hunch being true terrified her out of her wits. She knew that having castle on the force would not end well. There was too much for him to lose.

**A/N: So what do you guys think? What is Beckett's hunch? Hey, in your reviews, tell me what your favorite color, number, movie and Castle quote/episode is! I want to know! Oh, and also, feel free to make me laugh, or cry, while reading your review! Also, sorry this was a day late. I was busy Sunday and I had today off. So, it's still the weekend for me. But then I go back to school tomorrow... (sigh) I love all your reviews!**


	7. Chapter 6: Last Words

**A/N: I'm a bad person. I will update three times this weekend for you guys. Because I am a terrible author... I was at retreat so that's my excuse for this weekend because I had to pack, and the weekend before my mom wouldn't let me go on the computer. But nonetheless I am here and prepared with an update!**

Beckett walked in to see Ryan and Esposito standing over a small, blond girl who had tears running down her cheeks and was holding a glass of water.

She walked over and held out her hand for the girl to shake, "Hi, you must be Paige. I'm Detective Beckett."

The teenager took the detectives hand gingerly and forced a small smile to spread across her lips.

"I see Detectives Ryan and Esposito told you the bad news." she observed, not making any effort to smile back.

Paige looked up at the sullen detective and asked with a new stream of tears rolling down her face, "How can this have happened? Alexis never did anything wrong! She was perfect! Who would do something like this to her?"

"I'm trying to figure that out. But right now, I need to ask you a few questions."

Paige nodded as Beckett sat down, "Okay, first of all, I heard the two of you went to a party and you got drunk so Cast-I mean her father had to pick the two of you up. When Alexis let him call your parents, you were upset so you sabotaged your project."

The teenager blushed and said, "Well, yeah, but I'm over that and so is she. Or she was. I was just upset because I thought it was the end of the world because I was in so much trouble. But I'm older now. I understand that there's more important things than going to senior parties and getting drunk."

Beckett nodded, "Was there any other friends that she had conflicts with?"

"Well, when Lauren was upset that Alexis was spending to much time with Ashley, they fought, but it wasn't that big of a deal since they worked it out quickly. Other than that, she hasn't really fought with anyone."

"Were you at the party last night? Ashley's party?"

"Yeah, it was almost the entire grade. All of us seniors. It was kind of crazy. I don't really remember who I talked to because there was so many of us."  
"Do you know who the last person to see her was?"

"Yeah, basically everyone at the party. Her and Ashley got really mad at each other last night and just went off at each other."

"Can you tell me what it was about?"

"I don't know. All we could hear was screaming because the music was so loud. But she left in a hurry and tears were streaming down her face. Then five minutes later, after a lot of pacing, Ashley left too."

"Okay, thank you. You can go."

"Ryan, Esposito, I'm going to go get Ashley. You can come with me, but I have a feeling he won't be that much of a problem."

"We'll come," Ryan said, grabbing his jacket and pulling it on as Esposito stood up.

* * *

"Ashley, put your hands on your head and turn around. You're under arrest."

"What?" the teenager said, obliging to his directions, "You guys already talked to me!"

Beckett didn't answer as she cuffed the eighteen-year-old and pushed him into her car.

As she drove, she glanced at Ashley in the rear view mirror and saw a tear in his puffy, red eyes, ready to fall. the two got eye contact through the mirror and simultaneously looked away as Beckett came to a stop outside of the precinct.

She got out of the car and pulled Ashley out then escorted him inside to an interrogation room. She then left and went to her desk to retrieve her files.

Upon reentering the interrogation room, she shut the door behind her and stood there, staring at the boy who was looking blankly at his hands, unaware of her presence.

"You lied to me, Ashley," Beckett said, making the boy look up, startled, "You told me you and Alexis hadn't fought about anything serious lately. But I have an eyewitness who says that they remembered seeing the two of you yelling at each other in the midst of your party just before Alexis stormed out, crying. The eyewitness also told me that five minutes later, you left too. And I'm sure, if I talked to every person who was at that party, I would get the same story." By this time, Beckett was standing on the other side of the table in relation to where Ashley sat, looking down. Her palms were placed flat on the solid white table and she was hunched over, staring down the top of the teenager's head.

"So, tell me Ashley," she said, her voice low and intimidating, "Why did you lie to me? And what was that fight about?"

"Alexis and I are both going to college next fall and this summer is our last chance to be together before we both go to different colleges. We had all these plans, but a couple of weeks ago, my parents told me they signed me up for a summer course at Florida State University since I'm going there. And it runs from the week after we get out to three weeks before I start college but one week after she starts. I told her last night. Right after I told her I love her. She was yelling at me, asking why I didn't tell her sooner and wondering how I could be so insensitive and blow off all our plans. Then I got angry because it wasn't my fault since my parents signed me up and only told me a little while back. _But she wouldn't listen_. I told her she was being stupid. Then she left and I was still really angry so I just thought, _screw her_. But then, when I had cooled down a bit, I realized I had made a huge mistake so I went after her. But I couldn't find her... Because she was _probably already dead_. I can't believe that the last thing I told her was so _cruel_ and _meaningless_ and _insensitive_! "

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't want Mr. Castle to know. You won't tell him, will you?"

"No, Ashley, I won't."

At that moment, Ryan and Esposito poked their heads inside the interrogation room and looked straight at Beckett who had turned around to look at them, eyebrows raised.

"Another body drop. Lanie says you should come."

**A/N: Well, there it is. I hope you liked that. You see a little bit more into Ashley and Alexis' relationship. Please review! It will give me a lot of motivation to write the next two chapters quicker! I love you all!**

**Reviews=Motivation!**


	8. Chapter 7: STRIKES

**A/N: I meant to update yesterday but I couldn't because I didn't have Internet connection (I'm in Los Angeles). So I'll try for two today since I'm going to Las Vegas tomorrow. I may or may not have to pay for wifi at the hotel so we'll see. You guys are great! Keep reviewing!**

"Where's the body?" Beckett asked as she walked up to the alley, shuddering as she remembered how she felt that morning, walking into a similar alley.

"Next to the dumpster," one of the uniforms told her. She walked on to see Lanie, standing over the body.

It was an older woman, with red hair and colorful clothing.

"It's Martha!" she exclaimed.

Ryan and Esposito came up on either side of her, standing just behind her and looking over her shoulder.

"Holy-" Ryan started.

"Murder scene!" Beckett interrupted.

Ryan coughed, "Sorry. So, Lanie, what's the time of death?"

"About thirty minutes ago."

"What was Martha doing out? She was supposed to be with Castle at his loft," Esposito put in.

"Well, judging by the flowers scattered around the entrance of this alley, I'd say she stopped by the florist and was on her way home," Lanie said in her usual matter-of-fact voice.

Beckett stayed silent, staring at the body of her partner's mother. Her hunch had practically been confirmed. The only thing that didn't correspond with her hunch was the word, "STRIKES" written on the victim's forehead.

Martha looked as if she was sleeping, as did Alexis, she had been strangled professionally, and so had Alexis. This was the second murder in this way.

There was only one answer she could procure. And it wasn't one she liked.

"Are you okay, Kate?" Lanie asked, eyebrows raised.

The detective nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You want to call Castle?"

"Yeah, once I get back to the precinct, I will."

Ryan and Esposito turned to leave but Lanie beckoned for Beckett to stay. Once the two detectives were out of earshot, Lanie said, "I got the test results. It follows the pattern. The only difference is the victims are related and neither of them is blond."

"So are you saying it's him?" Beckett asked.

"Well, he did basically threaten to destroy Castle's life. What better way to do so then to kill everyone he cares about?"

"Thanks, Lanie," Beckett said, smiling a little.

"No problem, Kate," the ME replied, turning back to her work as her best friend walked away.

When Beckett returned to the precinct she found no need to call the writer because he was already there.

"Didn't I tell you to go home?" she asked, then regretting how insensitive that sounded.

He flinched a little, then recovered, "Yeah, you did. But you told me to come back if I felt I could help with the case. And I do feel like I can help with the case."

"Okay, but first, I have to tell you something."

"No! I know who the killer is." Castle exclaimed, though his voice was not that of excitement.

Beckett paused, "What? What do you mean you know who the killer is?"

"Yeah, I was thinking and it suddenly just hit me. And as I thought about it and thought about it, I realized all the pieces fit. Everything."

"Who, Castle? Who do you think the killer is?"

"It's the triple killer. But who's he gonna strike next. And why a red-head?"

"Castle, sit down."

"But, Beckett, I just cracked this case wide open!"

"Richard, sit!"

The writer sat without any more complaints.

"I have something to tell you. Earlier today, I was interrogating Ashley. Ryan and Esposito got a call and came in to tell me. There was another body drop. They said Lanie suggested I come. So I went."

"And?" Castle said impatiently, "Who's the victim? Am I right about the killer?"

Beckett paused, not quite sure how to continue, "Rick, your mother is dead."

Only moments before, it seemed like Castle's emotions had been shut off, but now they were turned back on and everything came flooding back toward him like moths to a flame.

"My mother? She was the next victim?"

"Yes, she was. And you are right. The killer is the triple killer. Lanie did tests on the fibers left behind from the rope used to strangle her. It matches the ones from his other victims."

"He's haunting me; punishing me. He's making me hurt," Castle said, his voice raising steadily as his sorrow turned into anger, "Who's going to be next? Huh? How else will he destroy me?"

"Castle, on your mother's forehead, the word, "STRIKES" was written, just like the word, "THREE" was on your daughter's forehead. Does that mean anything to you?"

Castle shook his head, now calm and sorrowful again, "No, nothing. Absolutely nothing."

But Castle did know what it meant. And he knew how it would end. He knew the words that would be etched on the next victim's forehead.

And he knew those words would end with him.

**A/N: So this story won't be too long, I don't think. I think the most chapters it will have is 20 (but don't get your hopes up!) and the least would be 12-14, I think. So if you like this story, tell me in a review and I'll try to make it as long as possible without rambling or going in circles.**


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